Disqualification Over a Misogynistic Meme

Ethical Educator

Scenario:

An executive search consultant with 25 years in the superintendency is leading a school board through a search to fill its vacancy. After the consultant gives the board a slate of six semi-finalists, a board member discovers one of the candidates had posted a misogynistic meme about Nancy Pelosi in 2020. She shares the find with the search consultant and the board president, who seems perturbed but tells other board members it was “no big deal.” However, several board members believe the social media post is a disqualifier and ask the search consultant to address this discovery before the candidate interviews with the full board the following week.

What should the search consultant advise them to do?